Assault on Iruel
Melchiah stood at the forefront of Moriya's forces, staring at the gates of Iruel in the distance. Years ago, he had called himself a Paladin of the city's Holy Order - A defender of its people and territories. Now, his king had sent him here to force the city to submit to Moriya's will. It was a somber feeling, and he wondered if the Prince weren't at his side if he could go through with this, but Drake's watchful eye ensured that he had to go through with this. Drake stood at his side, eyeing him curiously. He wondered the same, but Melchiah's conviction had been exemplary so far. Being little more than the city proper, Iruel had sparse defense at its borders, which Melchiah cut through with ease. They had take prisoners where possible, and Drake was able to at least confirm that Serra was within the city's borders, though none of the low level soldiers they captured knew why she had been taken. "There is no sense in delaying any longer," Drake was surprised to hear Melchiah say. "Once we establish a hold around the city, it shall only be a matter of time before they surrender. Even their paladins cannot stand against all of us." "Indeed," Drake said simply, looking over his shoulder. He nodded toward one of the captains, who raised his arm in a signal. The banners went up and soldiers began marching past them toward the shimmering city. Melchiah took a deep breath and began marching forward as well, looking back at Drake once more. There was a time when he would have regretted doing this to his former home, but everything that had connected him to it, Dumah and Turel, were gone, one way or another. He would do his duty, and he would have no regrets. The pristine looking city belied its aggressive nature. Why would they attack Moriya without cause? What did any of it have to do with Serra's disappearance? These were the questions Melchiah sought to answer, but he wished that the answers could have come without bloodshed. It was for this reason that he paused when he saw the gates opening. Would Iruel attempt to parley? He could only hope that they had been aware of Moriya's quick attacks through their lands and would appeal to reason here today. Though the city's gates were yet several minutes away, he could make out a group of soldiers coming through them as they creaked open. The absence of a white flag disappointed him, as he had fully intended to parley with the city, having no intention to ambush it as they had done to Moriya. Still, the group was far too small to take on Melchiah's attack force, bringing only some sort of platform behind them. It was when he saw what was on the platform that he stopped in his tracks, signaling the soldiers to do the same. Serra's already thin body looked almost sickly now chained up the platform. Her arms were stretched out to her sides and her tattered wings hung as limply as her head. Scrolls and runes were nailed to the platform all around her, leaving one to assume that she was magically held there somehow in addition to the heavy chains that tied her in place. The white haired paladin that had led the attack on Moriya, Xellos, stepped out from behind it, hopping up to the platform with a quick jump before signaling the soldiers that accompanied him to head back into the gates as he saw Melchiah's army stop. "This is what you came for, is it not?" He called out loudly, causing Serra to raise her head. She widened her eyes as she saw Melchiah in the distance, and though poorly nourished, she opened her mouth to call out to him, only to have her mouth muffled by Xellos' rough hand. "The girl is here, Melchiah... come and claim her!" It was a trap. It had to be a trap, but Melchiah couldn't leave Serra in their hands. Iruel's towers appeared unmanned, though he turned to Drake to be sure. The night elf nodded as he kept his eyes warily on Serra. Melchiah watched his comrade fade into the shadows to become invisible, as was his favored tactic when venturing into the unknown and signalled a few soldiers to accompany him as he stepped forward himself, keeping his sword ready. Xellos grinned, still muffling Serra's mouth. Only the brief glint of light from Drake's blade gave Xellos time to prepare as Drake reappeared in front of him. Xellos drew his scythe to block Drake's dagger mere inches from his face, swinging it in counterattack only to slice through a shadow. Knowing that Drake's next attack would come within moments and seeing Melchiah and his army come charging forth, Xellos took his cue to escape, but not before he placed his hand on Serra's chest to activate a rune etched into a pendant placed on her. "Swallow them up, Leliel." He commanded, Jumping off the platform and onto the top of the city gates. Drake attacked again, but found his blade turned away by a wall of white light. He landed on Serra's platform, deciding that securing the girl was more important. He was surprised when her wings flared out and she strained to pull herself free of her chains. "Run..." She whispered as the tips of her hair and wings lost their black hue, turning a blank white. The color continued to drain to the base of her head, causing Drake no lack of bewilderment. As the blackness drained out of her completely, it quickly spread out in a large pool at the base of the platform, expanding rapidly out toward Melchiah and the others. Before they could react, the pitch black pool spread out under their feet and the army's advance halted, though this time not by choice. Melchiah felt his feet trapped as they slowly sank into the black void, and without pause he turned his head behind him to shout a retreat order. Many more soldiers became caught by the advancing void, partly from their hesitation and more in part to its speed. The soldiers at the very back fell to their feet as the pool stopped advancing. They watched in stunned silence as the men in front of them began sinking into the ground, with some reaching for their comrades helplessly. Seeing what was happening, Drake attempted to break Serra's chains, only to find his blades turned away by the same magic of his previous attack. His attempts to rip off the runes were met with severe burning, leaving him just as helpless as those caught in the void, albeit much safer. Melchiah looked up at Serra to see the girl crying from pain and the horror of what she was being forced to do. Instinctively his sword arced with lightning. There was a sure way to stop this spell, or most any spell - kill the caster. It was a logical choice, weighing the life of one against the lives of so many, but as he stared into Serra's face his resolve faltered. The agony in her expression was a clear indication that she was forced against her will, unable to control what she was doing at all. Slowly he lowered his sword as the electricity along his blade fizzled out. As he continued to slowly sink, among the panicked wails of the men around him, he took a heavy breath and looked up into the sky. He envisioned his wife and daughter, and their young son - the most precious things in his life. Would he ever see them again? He had promised them that he would return home to them, but if this was the end of his life, there was some small comfort in knowing that he wouldn't have the chance to break their hearts ever again. He knew most of the men had been swallowed up completely as it grew quieter. He drew one last breath and closed his eyes, envisioning Wren's face once more. Her soft brown eyes, her sweet lilac scent, her irresistable smile. He recalled the moment he fell in love with her and the joy they felt when they learned she was pregnant with Eva. He tried hard not to feel sorrowful, wanting his last moments of conciousness to be pleasant, but everything went black before he could even finish the thought. The massive black pool lay still as all was swallowed, save for the platform Serra was on and the city behind them, warded by powerful magic. Drake stared in disbelief, trying to reason through what had just happened when the pool quickly receded, much faster than it had spread. The black hue returned to Serra's hair and wings within moments, leaving her breathing heavily. He looked at Serra, still searching for a way to free her, but while he focused on her, crossbowmen shuffled into the towers. The whir of the bolts speeding through the air yanked his attention away, forcing him to disappear in a shadowy cloud before they pierced him. He reappeared at the edge of where the void had reached, standing in the grass with nothing but barren ground and nothingness between himself and the city. Serra's platform was now being wheeled back into the gates, denying him the opportunity to salvage anything at all from this disaster. Looking back at the handful of survivors behind him, he wondered how he would tell Wren that not only could he not rescue Serra, but he had allowed Melchiah to be taken as well.